Korean Dictionary
How to say "Gift giving" in Korean
“Gift giving” in Korean is 선물하기 (pronounced "Seonmulhagi").
선물하기
Seonmulhagi
Usage & Context
An important social practice in Korean culture. Popular gift items include fruit sets, health supplements, Spam sets (considered premium), and cash for weddings/funerals. Gifts are typically not opened in front of the giver. Wrapping and presentation are important. Refusing a gift multiple times is polite before accepting.
Example Sentence
한국에서 명절 선물 세트는 스팸이 들어있는 경우가 많아요.
Holiday gift sets in Korea often include Spam.
How to use 선물하기 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Gift giving” is 선물하기, romanized as Seonmulhagi.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 선물하기.
Pronunciation Guide
선물 (Seonmul) sounds like "sun-mool," with "sun" like the star and "mool" like 'pool' without the 'p.' 하기 (hagi) sounds like "hah-gee," with "hah" like in 'haha' and "gee" like in 'geese.'
More Example Sentences
Explaining a fundamental aspect of Korean social norms.
한국에서는 선물하기가 중요한 예절 중 하나예요.
In Korea, gift-giving is one of the important etiquettes.
Describing a common scene during major holidays.
명절에는 가족들에게 선물하기 위해 백화점에 사람이 많아요.
During holidays, department stores are crowded with people to give gifts to family.
Giving advice on thoughtful gift-giving etiquette.
선물하기 전에 상대방이 무엇을 좋아하는지 미리 알아보는 게 좋아요.
It's good to find out what the other person likes before giving a gift.
Cultural Context
선물하기 (seonmulhagi), or gift-giving, is a deeply ingrained and significant social practice in Korea. It's common for specific items like elaborate fruit sets, health supplements, or even Spam gift sets (considered premium!) to be exchanged during holidays (명절, myeongjeol) or special occasions. For weddings and funerals, cash is often given. A key etiquette point is that gifts are typically not opened in front of the giver. Also, it's polite to refuse a gift a few times before accepting, and presentation, including beautiful wrapping, is highly valued. You'll often see characters in K-dramas navigating these gift-giving rituals.
Editorial note
We review entries like 선물하기 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
선물하기 문화.
Gift-giving culture.
선물하기 좋은 날.
A good day for gift-giving.
선물하기가 어렵다.
Gift-giving is difficult.
Related Expressions
선물
seonmul
gift
예절
yejeol
etiquette/manners
정성
jeongseong
sincerity/devotion (often put into gifts)
답례품
damnyepum
return gift/favor
More Culture Words
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